A 47-year-old woman was charged with aggravated battery and attempted murder on March 6 after allegedly shooting her boyfriend with a shotgun because he was snoring, according to a report from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. Reports indicate that the shooting took place in the woman’s mobile home on Emerald Lake Drive near Sharpes Lake at approximately 10:20 p.m. After being taken into custody, the woman was transported to the Brevard County Jail where she is being held without bond.
When deputies arrived at the mobile home, they say the victim was lying in a pool of blood on the bedroom floor. Deputies say they quickly determined that the man had suffered a gunshot wound near his right armpit. The woman allegedly told deputies that her 20-gauge shotgun had discharged accidentally while she was handing it to her boyfriend. However, a statement made to deputies by the victim from a hospital bed the following morning contradicts the woman’s account of events.
The man is said to have told deputies that the woman became enraged over his snoring to the point where she pointed the shotgun at his head. Deputies say that he claims to have been shot as he attempted to leave the residence. In a subsequent interview, deputies say the woman changed her story but still maintained that the gun went off by mistake.
The penalties for violent crimes can be severe, which is why an Orlando, Florida, murder and violent charges attorney may urge individuals accused of committing them to remain silent and ask to speak with a lawyer. Misleading statements made to police officers might make it more difficult for defense attorneys to negotiate a plea offer, and they may also make subsequent statements of remorse and regret seem insincere.
Source: Florida Today, Sharpes woman charged with shooting boyfriend with shotgun over his loud snoring, Rick Neale, March 8, 2019